Unconditionally
by sunnymadden
Summary: Here's an early Valentine for you Sam and Diane lovers! Takes place in season 4 and an unexpected "trip" makes Diane get a lesson in love from an unexpected source.


It was Valentine's Day of 1986 and it was long past a day of celebration for Diane Chambers. She was at a time in her life where she thought love had given up on her. Sumner dumped her right before their Carribbean getaway wedding. She dumped Frasier at the altar because she didn't know what she wanted except that whatever it was, it definitely not Frasier. Then Sam, and man, she didn't even know what the hell that was. She was living her Scarlett O'Hara/Rhett Butler fantasy she used to dream of. Everybody knew how her and Sam's sweet dream turned into a bitter nightmare and Diane deep in her soul knew she never woke up from that.

"Hey Diane," Woody calls from the bar and breaking Diane's deep thought.

"What is it, Woody?"

"Can you go into the office and grab the emergency stock of vodka? We're running low already."

"Sure thing," she replies turning on her heels. Thank you, Woody, she silently says to herself. She has been lost in her own head all day and she needed a distraction.

"Okay," she says to herself as soon as she closes the office door behind her. "Vodka, vodka, vodka..."

That was when she tripped over a box that seemed to come out of nowhere. The tip of her high heeled shoe got caught and opened the box. Sitting upright again, she prayed that it was a first aid box because she noticed her freshly skinned knee had begun to bleed. It wasn't; just a bunch of papers and one framed photograph. A photograph? She curiously picked it up and realized it was a picture of Sam and his first wife, Debra. She knew it was her, she had met her before. She studied the picture further and noticed that Sam was holding a bottle of rum and kissing Debra's cheek. That was when she noticed her smile. Diane knew this smile, she knows she herself has smiled like this. Debra was in love when this photo was taken.

"You okay?" Sam asks walking in to the office.

"Sam, I..."

"What are you doing looking through my stuff? Put the picture and papers back in the box!"

"I didn't mean to! What are you doing lying things around for people to trip over, anyway? If you're so paranoid about what may be in here, that's a dumb thing to do!"

"Diane," he begins again, this time with a softer tone in his voice. "Your knee is bleeding. Are you sure you're okay?"

"Yes," she says trying to calm down herself. That was when Sam walks over to his desk and opens the top drawer to draw out a band aid. She sits there quietly as Sam kneels to her level and puts the band aid over her cut. She was stunned when the deed was over as he leaned over and gave her a kiss on the cheek. He then puts her hands under her arms and pulls her up. Still athlete strong after all these years.

"I'll get the vodka," he says moving on from the situation.

"Why do you keep a picture of her after all these years?"

"Who, Debra?"

"Yes, Debra."

"Because I love her," he says bluntly.

"You love her?" Diane asks unable to hide her shock at such honesty.

"She was my wife," he says looking straight at her. "I know we didn't have a perfect relationship but it doesn't mean it doesn't mean a lot to me. I thought you of all people would get that."

"I guess I don't..."

"Listen," he says getting ready to open the office door with the vodka under his arm. "Love isn't complicated. You either love somebody forever or you never really did love them in the first place."

With the slamming of the door, a stunned Diane goes to sit at the desk chair. She just got a lesson about love from Sam Malone. A lesson that spoke to her heart for that lesson was how she felt about Sam. She still loved Sam even when there were a million reasons not to. He made her get it and for the first time she was able to admit it to herself. It was a refreshing relief and huge weight lifted off her shoulders. She was okay to go back to work now. Her heart overflowed with newfound joy that Sam was the first person she saw.

**Unconditional, unconditionally,**

**I will love you, unconditionally.**

**There is no fear now,**

**Let go and just be free.**

**I will love you, unconditionally.**


End file.
